Airedale & Ferry Fryston
vs Altofts & Whitwood
Altofts & Whitwood has the younger population: 18% of residents are aged 15–29, against 17% in Airedale & Ferry Fryston. Homes in Altofts & Whitwood sold for a median of £220,000, 19% above Airedale & Ferry Fryston. Altofts & Whitwood has more green space nearby (19% within 500 m, against 18%).
People
Airedale & Ferry Fryston has 17,006 residents in 7,011 households; Altofts & Whitwood has 17,425 in 7,348. Airedale & Ferry Fryston has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 17%, 1.7 percentage points more than Altofts & Whitwood (Wakefield: 19%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (26% and 26%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 65% of homes in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and 46% in Altofts & Whitwood. Altofts & Whitwood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 72%, 15.7 percentage points more than Airedale & Ferry Fryston (Wakefield: 63%). Altofts & Whitwood has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 4.1 percentage points more than Airedale & Ferry Fryston (Wakefield: 15%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £185,000 in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and £220,000 in Altofts & Whitwood, against £205,000 across Wakefield.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (18% and 19%). A typical postcode has 58 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Airedale & Ferry Fryston, and 51 in Altofts & Whitwood. The typical postcode is 536 m from the nearest school in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and 473 m in Altofts & Whitwood. The typical postcode is 2,283 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and 1,265 m in Altofts & Whitwood. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 99% of premises in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and 91% in Altofts & Whitwood.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 132 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Airedale & Ferry Fryston and 85 in Altofts & Whitwood, against 121 across Wakefield. Police.uk records crimes by approximate location, not by where victims or offenders live. Busy streets, shops, stations and nightlife record more. Figures are counts, not a measure of personal risk.
Sources: Census 2021 (ONS) · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data · official school registers · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Environment Agency · data.police.uk, 12 months to Aug 2026 · Ofcom Connected Nations
In brief.
Each ward in a few lines, from its own page.
Airedale & Ferry Fryston is one of 21 wards in Wakefield, home to 17,006 people in 7,011 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £185,000 over the past two years, 10% below the Wakefield median. On average 18% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 22% above the Wakefield average.
Altofts & Whitwood is one of 21 wards in Wakefield, home to 17,425 people in 7,348 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £220,000 over the past two years, 7% above the Wakefield median. On average 19% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 27% above the Wakefield average.
More comparisons.
Airedale & Ferry Fryston and Altofts & Whitwood next to other wards of Wakefield.